Maltese accounts may be affected by Revolut data breach

Maltese customers may be among hundreds of Revolut account holders affected by a recent data breach, according to the hacker claiming responsibility for obtaining the information.

The incident affected 680 customer accounts across several countries and involved personal information including names, addresses, verification photographs and account details.

Revolut has not confirmed whether Maltese accounts were among those compromised or how many customers in Malta may have been affected.

The fintech company previously confirmed that sensitive customer information had been handed to a third party after it received what appeared to be an official request from a government account.

A Revolut spokesperson told Times of Malta that “an unauthorised third party utilised a legitimate government agency domain email to submit fraudulent requests for information”.

Reports indicate that hackers had gained access to Italian government email accounts and used them to send requests for information to Revolut.

The company believed the request was genuine and that it was legally required to provide the information.

A hacker using the name “IAmNotAVillian” later told technology news outlet International Cyber Digest that most of the affected accounts were based in France and Switzerland.

However, the hacker claimed that customers from another 31 countries were also affected, including Malta.

Revolut says systems and funds were not affected

Revolut said that after discovering what had happened, it informed the government agency concerned as well as law enforcement authorities, data protection bodies and financial regulators.

The company said it had also directly contacted the “limited number of impacted individuals” to inform them and offer support.

Revolut stressed that the incident did not compromise its internal systems or customers’ money.

“Revolut systems and customer funds are unaffected,” the company said.

Reports following the breach also claimed that hackers had attempted to extort the company and released samples of customer information obtained through the incident.

Malta-based entrepreneur reported threats

Malta-based crypto entrepreneur Felix Römer has also said that he received blackmail threats containing compromised information around two months ago.

Römer said on X that the threats included personal information. He later told the Wall Street Journal that he was considering increasing security at his because of concerns a possible physical attack.

Hackers have reportedly threatened to release further information unless Revolut pays them.

Revolut has a significant presence in Malta, with the company previously saying that around seven in every 10 people in the country use its services.